


The Road To Babylon

by peggy_hamilton



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: 5+1 Things, Gen, Generation Kill Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 13:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11990331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggy_hamilton/pseuds/peggy_hamilton
Summary: 4 Times Nate Wanted To Join In On The Jams + One Time He DidNate has to ride with in Colbert's humvee and is subjected to several sing alongs that he refrains from joining in on.





	The Road To Babylon

**Author's Note:**

> Just about got this in on time, hope you enjoy!

**1.**  
  
The humvee’s engine clanged and spluttered then promptly began spilling smoke out the sides. "Stop the vehicle," Nate ordered and they rolled to a stop.

  
  
"This is Hitman Two Actual, halt all vehicles," he spoke into the radio and the line of humvees in front and behind slowed to a stop.

  
  
"Hitman Two Actual this is Hitman Two One," Brad's voice sounded through the radio, "Do you copy?"

  
  
"I copy."

  
  
"We can't spot any enemy movement. Interrogative, what do you see, sir?"

  
  
"I see my broken engine," Nate sighed, going off line then clicking back on. "This is Hitman Two Actual we need an engineer."

  
  
  
When the engineer popped open the hood even more smoke fell out causing the men standing around to cough and step back. "Can you fix it?" Gunny Wynn asked, peering at the engine which had now thankfully stopped smoking.

  
  
"Its overheated and filled with sand. Spark plugs are eroded, not much I can do to fix it I'm afraid," the engineer shook his head.

  
  
"Sir, we can't be out here much longer," Brad commented, keeping a keen eye on the surrounding desert, "We're already behind schedule."

  
  
Nate opened his mouth to reply when Captain America came storming down the line of humvees with a wild look in his eyes, "Why are we stopped?"

  
  
"The engine-"

  
  
"We’re still in enemy territory, we could be ambushed any minute!"

  
  
Nate licked his lips and flicked his eyes over to Wynn who silently raised an eyebrow. "We'll abandon the vehicle and split up until we can get more transportation. Let's pack up quickly, we're Oscar Mike in ten mikes."

  
  
The men in his humvee collected their small amount of gear, "Where are we going?" Wynn asked.

  
  
"Find another humvee with space and ride with them.

  
  
Nate walked up to the front of the line where he knew the humvee that had none of the other officers in it was. "Room for one more?" He asked, coming up alongside Ray's window.

  
  
"Yeah, Lieutenant," Ray nodded his head to the backseat.

  
  
Nate walked round to the other side of the humvee and slid into the backseat next to Trombley. "How long you riding with us, sir?"

  
  
"I don't know," Nate licked his lips.

  
  
"Well, we got plenty of room now that that reporter’s gone," Trombley said as he checked his ammo.

  
  
Brad radioed that they were now oscar mike and Ray pulled off down the road at the head of the convoy, after ten minutes of staring out into the dark expanse of the desert Nate's attention was disrupted by the sound of Ray humming in the driver's seat. "I just can't get you outta my head," Ray sang under his breath.

  
  
Nate heard Trombley take a long suffering sigh as Ray soon began to increase in volume, "Boy, your lovin' is all I think about, I just can't get you out of my head."

  
  
Walt was the first one to join in, Nate could hear him singing along though it was muffled as he was sat up at the mark 19 gun, "Boy, it's more than I dare to think about. Every night, every day. Just to be there in your arms."

  
  
Trombley joined in around the same time that Brad did, he bobbed his head as the humvees occupants sang loudly. "Won't you stay. Won't you stay. Stay forever and ever and ever ah ah." 

  
Nate smiled softly as he saw the relaxed smiles on the men's faces, it was rare that moments as easy and carefree came like this. Especially for him, his fingers drummed against his leg to the beat but he restrained himself from joining in on the familiar words. He was an officer, even if he wanted to, he couldn't join in. Combat and moments like this forged bonds within platoons, not across them.

  
  
He could hear the sounds of the men in the humvee behind join in on the melody as they drove otherwise undisturbed through the desert night. "La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la."   


* * *

  
  
**2.**

  
  
They had assaulted through another town that looked just like the last, no enemy engagement just the locals asking for water and children running after the humvees. Ray was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel after having Brad tell him to shut up, the RTO had been talking practically non stop for half an hour.

 

Nate wasn't surprised when a few minutes later Ray began singing, “Scar tissue that I wish you saw, sarcastic mister know it all, close your eyes and I’ll kiss you cause, with the birds I share,” he grinned round at the others, silently telling the to join in as well as telling them he wasn't going to stop.

 

“With the birds I share this lonely view,” Brad was the first to join in, sounding resigned but quickly getting into it.

 

Ray drummed his hands on the wheel as he and Brad started the next verse in time together, “Push me up against the wall. Young Kentucky girl in a push-up bra. Fallin' all over myself, to lick your heart and taste your health 'cause with the birds I share this lonely view.”

 

“Walt, the next verse!” Ray called back, “It’s the best bit, you gotta join in.”

 

Nate looked over at Walt who had switched places with Trombley, he rolled his eyes at Ray but began singing the next verse when Brad shot him an amused grin. “Blood loss in a bathroom stall. Southern girl with a scarlet drawl. Wave goodbye to ma and pa 'cause, with the bird I'll share.”

  
“With the bird I'll share, this lonely view.” Nate bopped his head along, biting his lip to keep his smile from cracking his face, he allowed himself to take his eyes off his sector to look at the gleaming smiles on Ray, Brad and Walt's faces to commit them to memory.

  
“Soft spoken with a broken jaw. Step outside but not to brawl..”

 

* * *

  
  
**3.**  


“I’m sorry, Fick. You’ll just have to manage until the company gets to Camp Babylon,” Godfather shook his head.

 

“Yes, sir,” Nate nodded.

 

“Dismissed.”

 

Nate saluted and walked away, he saw Wynn standing a small distance away and jogged over to him. “Any luck?”

 

“Sorry,” Nate shook his head regretfully. Wynn sighed heavily, he had had to ride with Griego since the humvee broke down. “I can switch with you,” he offered.

 

Wynn quirked a small smile and shook his head, “It’s bad for me but it’ll be hell for you. Besides, you’re happy riding with Colbert’s team.” Nate went to protest but Wynn plowed on, “You smile more now.”

 

To their right a few cars down Walt and Trombley had started singing as they cleaned their guns. “When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next you.”

 

The two sang loudly which encouraged the other mem scattered around to sing along. “When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you. If I get drunk, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you.”

 

Ray came around the side of the humvee and began singing loudly in an exaggerated scottish accent, “And if I haver up, yeah I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you.”

 

Most of the men joined in for the familiar chorus, grins on their faces whilst they sang and set about their work. “But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles, to fall down at your door.”

 

Wynn smirked over at Nate, “See you can’t keep the smile off your face.”

 

Nate was then made aware of the wide grin that had settled naturally on his face, “Don’t you have something to do?” he tried unsuccessfully to school his features.

 

“Yes, sir,” Wynn gave another teasing smile before walking away.

 

"Why not join in, sir?" Ray yelled over when he noticed Nate lingering at the edge of the small crowd.

 

Nate waved him off and let himself look back at his platoon, Walt and Ray plowed on and were now leading the chorus as Brad sang the back up. “When I come home (when I come home) well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you.”

 

* * *

 

 **4.**  
  
  

They were almost at Camp Babylon, it would be the last extended amount of time spent in the humvee for the foreseeable future. Nate was in his usual seat behind Brad, Trombley next to him. “I'm just bummed I didn’t get to shoot any dogs,” he complained.

 

“Shut up, Trombley,” Brad said, not even giving him a glance.

 

The humvee rolled bumpily down the road and Nate realised that once they reached the base camp he would no longer be able to spend as much time with the men in this car past the usual check ups and briefings. He was an officer, if the circumstance didn't call for it he shouldn’t be spending his time with subordinates. Though it did mean he would be able to spend time with Wynn, whose familiar presence he had come to miss on these long drives.

 

“Sing for me, Bradley,” Ray requested, sending him a shit eating grin.

 

“What? You run out of your own songs to annoy us with?” Brad smirked.

 

Ray snickered, “Something like that.”

 

“Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound,” Brad started singing and the smile of Ray’s face threatened to split it in half. “Staring blankly ahead making my way, making my way through the crowd. And I need you.”

 

“Da da da da da da da,” Ray hit his hands against the wheel in time with singing the backing music.

 

“And I miss you.”

 

“Da da da da da da da!”

 

“And now I wonder,” Brad trailed off and paused for effect then started the chorus with Ray singing loudly and out of tune along side him, “If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by, cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see you..tonight!”

 

Ray continued singing the piano parts, “You can't sing the instrumental!” Trombley protested.

 

“Watch me, James!” Ray called back, hardly even pausing to take a breath as he continued singing the music.

  
  
“It's always times like these when I think of you and I wonder If you ever think of me,” Brad began the next chorus and Ray chimed in. 

  
Nate’s urge to join in was ever present and his self control was slipping, he settled for silently mouthing the words as the boys in the front sang passionately, “'Cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong living in your precious memory!” 

  
“'Cause I need you, and I miss you and now I wonder,” Trombley joined in quietly, not as into the song as Brad and Ray were, “If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by, oh. 'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you tonight.”   


* * *

 

**+1**

 

They had reached Camp Babylon and their days were now filled with PT, “Can’t they give us a break? I already completed training,” Walt huffed during a break, leaning back against a wall and squinting his eyes against the sun.

 

Brad smirked, “It would seem that our fearless and indestructible Walt Hasser has been foiled by simple physical training.”

 

Walt shot him a glare, “Are you saying you’re having a good time?’

 

“I agree with Walt,” Ray chimed in, sprawled on the sandy floor with his arm flung over his eyes, “This sucks ass, homes.”

 

“Yeah, sarge, what happened to your ‘warrior spirit’?” Trombley grinned.

 

Brad raised an eyebrow as he was ganged up on, “I’ll have you know that my warrior spirit is fully intact. I just don't feel the need to bitch about our current circumstances like some kind of angst ridden, depressed teenager who just got rejected by his would-be-prom-date when I know that we’re getting shipped home in a week.”

 

Walt gave a withering look which brightened when he saw Nate walk by, “LT!” he called for him and Nate came over.

 

“Can I help you, Hasser?”

 

“Is this all we’ll be doing from now on?”

 

Nate gave an apologetic smile, “I’m afraid so. Just think about the fact that we’re all going back home in a week, you’ll get to see your friends and family and not worry about morning reveille and PT.”

 

With that statement it seemed to dawn on them that when they got shipped home they would no longer see each other every day, the men who they had formed bonds with that were deeper than any other. Instead they would be surrounded by people who would never truly understand what they went through and they would be left with the memories of everything they had done over here. Suddenly the light atmosphere had turned incredibly somber, grim faces on each of the men.

 

Nate cursed himself from bringing this upon them, his brain frantically tried to think of a way to cheer them up and take their minds off this whole mess. He only had one idea.

 

He licked his lips and took a deep breath before he started to sing, “Coming out of my cage and I’ve been doing just fine, gotta gotta be down because I want it all. It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss.”

 

A smile spread across Ray’s face and he sat up to look at Nate as he and Brad joined in. “Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab while he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag. Now they're going to bed and my stomach is sick.”

 

Walt was next to chime in, a happier expression on his face, “And it's all in my head but she's touching his chest, now, he takes off her dress, now, let me go.”

 

Ray prodded Trombley with his elbow prompting him to join in, “I just can't look its killing me and taking control.”

 

Nate felt like he was floating on air, for once the barrier of leadership has dissolved and he could enjoy this moment freely with his men. Maybe it was the promise of home, or maybe he was just so sick of this war enough to finally say fuck the rules. “Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis.”

 

“I didn’t know you could sing, Lieutenant,” Ray grinned manically.

  
Nate smiled brightly and shook his head, ignoring the statement and the mischievous look in Ray’s eyes, “But it's just the price I pay, destiny is calling me, open up my eager eyes. Cause I'm Mr Brightside.”

**Author's Note:**

> Songs used are:  
> Cant get you out of my head - Kylie Minogue  
> Scar tissue - Red hot chili peppers  
> 500 miles - The proclaimers  
> A thousand miles - Vanessa Carlton  
> Mr Brightside - The killers
> 
> (I am aware that Mr Brightside came out a year after the events in this fic but shhh)


End file.
